In my recent preliminary review of the HTC Tilt 2, I mentioned that getting the device to work with VoIP and Google Voice calls would be a high priority for me. Since then, I’ve found a workable solution. This article will show you with step by step instructions how to set it up.

Why would I want to use Google Voice with my cell phone?

Google Voice gives you a permanent number that forwards to the phone or phones of your choice. If you change carriers or move, you don’t have to worry about “porting” your old phone number- you can just change your forwarding phone settings in Google Voice. Additionally, your Google Voice number can ring your home, work, and cell phones at the same time, and you can answer whichever one you want. You can block specific numbers, send others to specific phones, and determine what time of day you want each phone to ring.

I am not very techie, but I can usually read and follow directions.
Somehow, I managed to mess this up. Everything was fine until I got to
the Dial Central forwarding phone section at the very end. Will you
please write out explicitly what the “forwarding phone” number is
supposed to be? Google Voice? or The SIP number from Gizmo or something
else entirely?

Thanks So Much For A Great Post,

Q

Dear Q,

I reread my tutorial, and I can see how you might have become confused. I’ll try to clarify:

Forwarding Phone: This refers to any phone number that you set your Google Voice number to forward to. This is the same as a Callback Number in DialCentral. You can add forwarding phones by signing into your Google Voice account at http://google.com/voice, clicking “Settings” then “Phones.”

You can still make free calls by using the Google Voice web interface or DialCentral on your N810. In Google Voice, click “Call” in the upper left. Enter the phone number you want to call. Under “Phone to Ring,” select which of your forwarding phones you want to use for the call. Google Voice will ring that phone. When you answer, it will ring the number you are calling. Gizmo will consider this an incoming call, so you will not be charged.

In this post, I’ll show you how to set up your Sunrocket ATA and landline phone for free domestic phone service (US only) using Google Voice and the Gizmo Project. If you don’t already have an ATA, I’ve found the Linksys SPA2102 VoIP Phone Adapter with Router to be an excellent and reliable piece of equipment which can be configured for use with most SIP-based VoIP services.

Background

Way back in July of 2007 I signed up for VoIP phone service with Sunrocket. They sent me a telephone adapter, called a “Analog Telephone Adapter” or ATA, which connected to my land-line phone and my internet connection, enabling me to make calls over the internet from any normal phone. I enjoyed the service for about one month before Sunrocket went out of business.

Sunrocket did not ask for their device back. Unfortunately, they had “provisioned” the ATA so that it only worked with Sunrocket’s service. You couldn’t use it anywhere else. Someone developed a solution for unlocking the device, but I lacked some critical knowledge and couldn’t make the solution work for me. So I ended up with a perfectly good piece of hardware that I couldn’t use. I put it on a shelf in the back of my closet, and there it remained for the next 2 years, like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince.

The Nokia N810 excels as a VoIP Wifi phone. I previously mentioned the device’s Skype capability, which I am so far pleased with. It’s inexpensive and works well, and I recommend it. This article will show you how to take things one step further by setting up your N810 to make and receive absolutely free phone calls to landlines and cell phones within the United States. I’ll walk you through the entire setup process.

Things You’ll Need

A Nokia N800 or N810 Internet Tablet. If you don’t yet have one, you can purchase it here. This can also be done with a Wifi capable Blackberry or Windows Mobile device, but since I don’t have either of those, my instructions will focus on the N810. Setting up other devices should be similar- you’ll just have to find the specific client programs yourself, and they may not be free.